


Dating 101

by masi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-02-09
Packaged: 2018-05-19 09:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5962312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masi/pseuds/masi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ushijima and Oikawa are on a date when they run into Kageyama, who wants dating advice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dating 101

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Ushioi Week 2016, day 3, prompt: date/vacation.

Ushijima and Oikawa are stepping out of the Cosmo Planetarium, stars still shining in Oikawa’s eyes, when Kageyama Tobio walks directly into their path. 

Oikawa almost jumps one foot into the air, his mouth opening in surprise. “Tobio!” he exclaims. And then, before Kageyama can reply, “How many times are we going to meet like this?!”

The two of them step away from the crowd that is exiting from the doors and find an empty space closer to the curb. Neither of them seems happy about this reunion. Ushijima follows them, and while Kageyama and Oikawa stare at each other, he looks at Kageyama. 

The last time he talked to Kageyama was about three years ago. Kageyama’s face is leaner now, his jawline more pronounced. He is taller. Wider shoulders too, though not as wide as Ushijima’s own.

There is a look of almost hostile uncertainty on Kageyama’s face. He looks more certain of himself on the court and on the front cover of _Volleyball Monthly_ , though not any more relaxed. The latest news on him is that he has started attending university and is already a regular on the volleyball team. Ushijima remembers a younger Kageyama saying, “I’ll definitely make you say that I’m even better than Oikawa!” The fierce determination of it.

“What are you doing here, Tobio-chan,” Oikawa says. 

“I-” Kageyama begins.

“Can you believe this, Ushiwaka-chan,” Oikawa continues, loudly. “He’s still keeping tabs on me after all these years. How did he know I was going to be here at this exact time and place? Is this charming or creepy?” 

“You posted it on Facebook, Oikawa-san,” Kageyama says.

“Oh, you know what Facebook is? Hm, I’ll have to change my privacy settings.”

Kageyama glances at Ushijima, and Ushijima says, “How are you, Kageyama Tobio, Who Sprouted from the Concrete?”

“Yeah, fine,” Kageyama replies. “You?”

“Well, this is where our little reunion comes to an end, Tobio-chan,” Oikawa says. He takes his cell phone out of his coat pocket and pulls up the Maps app. “Let’s try not to make a habit of running into each other, alright? I’m a busy man, you know, even more now than I was in Miyagi.”

He stops speaking to respond to a text, and Ushijima uses this opportunity to say, “I thought you would aim higher in the volleyball world, Kageyama, with your talent. Our university has a better-”

“Now, now, Ushiwaka-chan,” Oikawa says in a chiding tone, waving a finger at him. “We’ve talked about this. Live and let live, remember?”

Kageyama frowns at Ushijima. He says, “I’m going to play on the national team one day.” Then he continues in a louder voice, glaring at Oikawa, “And I wasn’t following you, Oikawa-san. Sugawa- I mean, someone, I mean, Sugawara-san is the one who saw your Facebook status, and he told me that you were here, and he said that since I was in the area too, I should go say hi to you. I was walking up that street when I saw you coming out from the planetarium, and I came over to say hi. That’s all, okay?!”

Kageyama is breathing hard when he finishes. Understandable. It has been awhile since he has talked to Oikawa, and he is out of practice. Oikawa has a special talent for annoying people, can move even the most levelheaded person on earth to the point of tears or extreme rage. Ushijima feels a twinge of sympathy.

“How charming,” Oikawa is saying now. “Tobio-chan needs a senpai to guide him through life even in his old age. It’s nice to see that not everything has changed.” He tugs on the sleeve of Ushijima’s jacket. “Come along, time for dinner.”

Kageyama looks at Ushijima, and then at Oikawa. His eyes widen. He asks, “Are you two….”

“That’s none of your business, is it?” Oikawa replies. He walks ahead, phone held out in front of him.

Ushijima nods a goodbye to Kageyama before following Oikawa. A few seconds later, he realizes that Kageyama is following them. 

“Tooru,” he says.

After sighing and complaining about how the evening is ruined, Oikawa turns around. He frowns at Kageyama. “What’s wrong with you, Tobio?” he asks.

“Where are you guys eating dinner?” Kageyama asks.

“Why?”

“Can I come?”

“Can you believe this?” Oikawa mutters to Ushijima.

“Please, Oikawa-san!” Kageyama says. He balls his hands into fists. He sounds very strained, like he is in physical pain, like he has broken a bone but wants to stay on the court, as he says, “There’s someone I want to take out on a date, but I don’t know any good places in Tokyo.”

“Don’t know any good places, or don’t know what to do on a date?” Oikawa asks.

Ushijima feels a bit annoyed himself. He was planning on having a quick dinner with Oikawa and then going back to their apartment and having a quiet night together. He’s done his fair share of typical getting-together dates. Spending time at home is much more relaxing than wandering around the city on group dates, barhopping and singing off-key in endless karaoke sessions and, occasionally, ending the night by escorting a weepy Oikawa back to the dorms. They have settled into a more peaceful routine after Ushijima told Oikawa, “I love you,” while they were rolling a volleyball cart back to the gymnasium’s storage room, and then kissed him. They have been living together for a year now, have built a small home for themselves, albeit upon rickety foundations. 

But Kageyama is looking so distraught, so in need of guidance. Ushijima thinks of Goshiki, how much the kid had looked up to him. Upperclassmen have a duty to their underclassmen.

“You can come with us,” Ushijima says to Kageyama. “We’ll show you around.”

“Excuse me?” Oikawa puts his hands on his hips. “You’re making decisions for the both of us now, Ushiwaka-chan?”

“He could use our help.”

“You barely know your way around the city.”

“That’s why I said our help.”

“We’re going to talk about this later,” Oikawa says. 

But he is smiling in a pleased way now, and his voice is softer when he turns to Kageyama and says, “Fine, you can come with us, Tobio-chan. Let’s see what you can learn in an hour. Then you’re on your own.”

“Right.” Kageyama nods.

 

***

 

In the next four hours, not one, they:

 

1\. Eat dinner at ramen shop

“People usually go on group dates first,” Oikawa tells Kageyama as they walk into the small, humid shop. “But, since you’re such an awkward boy, you might do better on your own. Also, don’t order more than one bowl of ramen tonight, alright? I’m a broke university student.”

“I can pay, Tooru,” Ushijima says. “We don’t have to eat here. There is a restaurant across the street.”

Oikawa continues loudly, “Try to talk nicely to your crush, Tobio-chan. Don’t make those scary faces.” 

After they receive their orders, he calls Iwaizumi and, while drinking all of the broth from both his bowl and Ushijima’s, gives a detailed account of what he saw at the planetarium. Kageyama finishes off his ramen and stares intently as Ushijima eats first his own noodles and then Oikawa’s.

“Wish you were here, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa says after Ushijima finishes. “Can you believe I’m having dinner with not one, but two, of my archenemies? Times sure have changed.”

Kageyama asks Ushijima, “Is it normal to talk to a friend when you’re on a date with someone else?”

Ushijima says, “It’s not customary, but you can when you are dating someone for a long time.”

Kageyama chews over this for a minute, then he asks, “So, you two are enemies and boyfriends? Is it better that way?”

“We are teammates and occasionally rivals, not enemies.”

Kageyama is silent after that, until they are leaving the shop, when he says, “How did you two get together? Oikawa-san didn’t like you when we were in school.”

Before Ushijima can explain, Oikawa says, “We’re not your parents, Tobio-chan. We’re not going to tell you stories about how Mommy and Daddy found each other and had you.”

Ushijima doesn’t see what the problem is in telling Kageyama. The short version of the story is that he and Oikawa first learned how to get along after they started playing on the same team, and then they learned how to do more than just get along. 

The longer version is that he has admired Oikawa Tooru for a long time. While they were growing up, separately and together, in Miyagi. Ever since he first saw Oikawa serve a ball, and even more when he saw the seemingly effortless way in which Oikawa motivated everyone on the court to play better through his carefully chosen words and his own strength. When he was little, Father had told him a story about an amazing ace who could boost the morale of his teammates, and there was Oikawa, doing so in the flesh. 

Ushijima never really thought that Oikawa would love him back. It was an impossible dream when they first started attending the same university. There are times even now that he feels like he is dreaming. In the middle of a quiet afternoon, in the middle of a mundane chore, the two of them hauling their groceries up the stairs or putting away freshly laundered clothes together, and Oikawa touches him, casually, unexpectedly. When he leaves a classroom to find Oikawa waiting for him in the hallway. When Oikawa kisses him after a morning run, breathing hard into his mouth, his face wet with sweat. 

Ushijima wants this dream to last forever.

 

2\. Sing pop songs in a karaoke box

Kageyama has a nice voice, but he gets embarrassed partway through his third song, when the chorus starts. Ushijima does not understand what is so embarrassing about the lines “Your quiet strength takes my breath away/You opened up the way/Hey.”

“Who do you think he has a crush on?” Oikawa asks Ushijima in a loud whisper, staring at Kageyama, who blushes angrily. “Could it be on Shrimpy? But would you describe his strength as quiet? But why isn’t it him? Didn’t the two of them have some kind of vibe back then, Ushiwaka-chan?”

Ushijima says, “I thought so too.”

“Hinata and I are friends,” Kageyama says, squeezing his microphone so hard it looks like it will break.

“I would like to see your Freak-Quick again,” Ushijima says. “I will defeat you this time.”

He wants to see Hinata again. Hinata and Kageyama are simultaneously an inspiration and an annoyance on the court. They make him want to be less guarded, more spontaneous. 

“Who do you think can toss better, Ushiwaka-chan?” Oikawa asks. He slurps his orange soda loudly. The ice cubes rattle against the cup. “Me or Tobio here?”

Kageyama sits down on the sofa across from them and glances at Ushijima. Ushijima feels cornered. Both Kageyama and Oikawa are superb setters. He feels like he is back in his mother’s house again and being asked who he wants to spend the holidays with, Mother or Father. One of the two will be disappointed no matter what he says. 

Ushijima says, “It’s your turn to sing, Oikawa.”

“Wrong answer,” Oikawa says.

Oikawa spends the next five minutes playing around with the touch screen panel, and then he picks a song that is unnecessarily maudlin. He starts crooning into his mike about how fragile dreams are and how a thousand lifetimes won’t be enough to satisfy him. After the last notes of the song fade into the air, melancholic, tugging at the heartstrings, he leaves the room to get more soda.

“He had a rough week,” Ushijima explains because he does not want Kageyama to think less of Oikawa. “He isn’t as bitter on normal days. Tooru has gotten much better at dealing with loss.”

“I’ve seen recordings of your matches,” Kageyama says. Then, after a long pause, “You two play well together.”

“Yes,” Ushijima says.

As Oikawa is walking back into the room, Kageyama asks, “Ushijima-san, were you able to understand me when I was singing, or is my voice too deep? Was I mumbling?”

“Both of you have deep voices,” Oikawa says. He sets his cup on the table and then flops down on the sofa, a few feet away from Ushijima. “Honestly, I’d rather listen to nails scraping down a chalkboard than to you, Ushiwaka-chan, when you tell me what to do, and you, Tobio-chan, when you ask me to teach you how to do something that you already know how to do better than me. Tobio, who can sing better, me or Ushiwaka?”

Kageyama frowns. “What do you mean by better?” he asks.

“What kind of voice does your true love have? He goes to your university, right? What position does he play?”

“We do go to the same university, and he has a really nice voice, and that’s all I’m telling you,” Kageyama says.

“So cagey.” Oikawa sighs. “No wonder Tobio-chan isn’t getting any.”

He picks up a microphone and starts singing one of the top forty hits of the month. When Ushijima tries to join in on the chorus (mostly to put a smile on Oikawa’s face; he has difficulty with songs that have a fast tempo), Oikawa puts a finger over his mouth.

Kageyama glances at Ushijima, a puzzled expression on his face. Ushijima waits for Oikawa to move away and then says, “Karaoke isn’t for everyone.”

“Right,” Kageyama says. He looks at the song selector with an expression of great concentration on his face.

Ushijima says, “Instead of karaoke, you can watch a movie with your date. That is quieter and more intimate.”

“Movie tickets cost a fortune,” Oikawa says.

Ushijima remembers that Oikawa was talking about the new _Star Wars_ movie last week. Oikawa has already watched it three times, and he has purchased a fan T-shirt and two large robot plushies that are frequently left on the couch and make beeping noises whenever Ushijima accidentally sits on them. Oikawa would probably like to see the movie again.

“We can watch a movie,” Ushijima says. “I will pay.” He will have to use the money he was setting aside to buy new plants, but he does not mind, not too much anyway. He wants Kageyama to feel confident about dating.

 

3\. Watch half of a romantic comedy called _One Heart_

There were seats available for _Star Wars_ , but Oikawa insisted on watching this movie. “Tobio has to learn how to watch boring movies with his date,” he said. Now Oikawa is muttering under his breath about how unrealistic it is for two people to love each other so dramatically after spending only an hour together and how the protagonist’s confession is giving him second-hand embarrassment. Kageyama is examining the armrest between himself and Ushijima.

“Hey, Ushijima-san,” Kageyama says, in a half-whisper, “at what point during a date is it okay to hold your date’s hand like that?” He points to the couple on his other side, who quickly release each other’s hands.

“Tobio has no tact,” Oikawa says. “He’s going to ask you to hold his hand next, Ushiwaka-chan. For practice, you know.”

“Okay,” Ushijima says. 

Kageyama flexes his fingers.

Oikawa says, “This movie is giving me a headache. We’re leaving.”

And that is how they end up leaving the movie theater without finishing the movie.

 

4\. Go to a convenience store

Oikawa is in a better mood after he drinks a bottle of cold water and runs into a fanboy, who requests to take a photo with him in front of a shelf of potato chips. “Doing things like this is fine too, Tobio-chan,” he says after the fan leaves. “But don’t be stupid and try to do this on your first date.”

“You haven’t been much help, Oikawa-san,” Kageyama says. “All you’ve shown me is what not to do.”

“What more do you need?”

Kageyama, eyebrows furrowed, stomps over to the refrigerators to get a carton of milk.

“What about you?” Oikawa asks Ushijima. “Are you also very angry with me?”

Ushijima was annoyed when they were leaving the theater. Oikawa is not easy to date. He is mercurial and hard to please and has a long memory for grievances. 

But Oikawa is also thoughtful and caring when it counts, when it comes to things like accompanying him to visits to Grandfather’s house, or talking to Father over the phone, or saying exactly the right thing to cheer him up when he is feeling down. And he’s fantastic in bed. Ushijima wouldn’t trade Oikawa for the world.

“No,” Ushijima says. “I’m not angry with you, Tooru. I’m sorry you didn’t have a good time tonight.”

“The night isn’t over,” Oikawa says. 

He twines their pinkies together. “Here’s what we’re going to do when we get home,” he says. “First we’re going to fuck, I mean,” he smiles, “as you like to call it, _make love_. And then I’m going to sleep for eight hours straight. And dream about … about traveling through the Milky Way. Without a spacesuit. Just flying past the stars and planets. Hey, Waka-chan, do you think aliens play volleyball? They could, right? Maybe they use rocks instead of balls? Maybe a meteorite is a volleyball that went out of bounds.”

Oikawa has a voice that, although not particularly rough or loud, carries. Kageyama, who was walking over to them with his purchase, has overhead and is now turning bright red. His blue eyes are as wide as saucers. 

He will have to learn how to overcome such embarrassments when he starts dating. Ushijima says, “Kageyama, would you like to play volleyball with aliens?”

Kageyama stares at Ushijima for a moment before saying, “I’m going now, bye.”

“He can be cute sometimes,” Oikawa says, almost to himself. It is unclear whom he is talking about.

He follows Kageyama out of the store.

 

***

 

“Tobio,” Oikawa says.

“What,” Kageyama says, not turning around. He is headed in the direction of the train station.

“How rude! Is that how you talk to your elders?”

Kageyama stops and turns to them, face grumpy. “What is it, Oikawa- _san_.”

“That was an improvement, but not by much.” Oikawa waves his phone at Kageyama. “Anyway, Oikawa-san is going to do you a favor, so you better be grateful. I’ll text you a list of restaurants you can go to with your crush. Just don’t do what I do and you’ll be fine, obviously. Give me your number.”

Kageyama walks back to them with a cautiously hopeful expression. Ushijima has a strange urge to pat him on the shoulder, but he restrains himself. He watches as Kageyama checks his phone to find his own number.

As he is searching, the phone rings. Kageyama’s eyes widen. The phone slips out of his hand.

Oikawa grabs the phone before it can shatter on the sidewalk. He is tutting as he does this, but then he stops, eyes wide, staring intently at the screen. “Ah,” he says.

Kageyama snatches the phone out of Oikawa’s hand, ignores the call, and stuffs the phone into his jeans.

Oikawa says, “Call him back, silly. He’ll be worried.”

“No,” Kageyama replies.

“Tobio-chan. Tell him that you’re lost, and that you need him to show you how to get home. Then, when he’s at your doorstep, kiss him.”

“No.”

“You’re the one who wanted my advice! I’m giving it to you now, and you’re not going to take it?”

After glaring some more, Kageyama stalks off into the alley located to the left side of the store. Oikawa leans against the wall and folds his arms. “This will take at least another half hour,” he says. “Or longer.” 

Kageyama is talking loudly in the alley now, his tone switching back and forth from aggressive to almost shy at an alarming rate. “I can wait,” Ushijima says. “Who’s the guy?”

“You’ll see when he shows up.” Oikawa grins. “Though it was pretty obvious, in hindsight. Want to guess? Two thousand yen that you’ll get it wrong.”

“No thank you.” There is a good chance that he will be able to get it right, but there is a one hundred percent chance that Oikawa will be annoyed with him afterwards, so Ushijima does not want to take that wager. Not tonight. He wants to go home, and he wants the rest of the night to involve less talking and more touching.

“You have to brush up on your observational skills for tomorrow, Ushiwaka-chan.” Oikawa puts a hand on Ushijima’s left wrist. He pushes the sleeve up and looks at the watch as he strokes his thumb over Ushijima’s skin. “We need to check out that team of mathematicians who calculates trajectories out loud in the middle of a game, remember? We have to crush them next Saturday.”

“My observational skills are fine. We will defeat them.”

Kageyama returns, saying, “You two can go. Thanks. For tonight.” He opens his carton of milk and finishes it in three gulps.

“No, we’re staying,” Oikawa says. “You have to introduce your crush to us, Tobio-chan.”

“Why? You already know him.”

Ten more minutes pass, full of bickering and the occasional innuendo. Ushijima stays out of it. He thinks about his former teammates and resolves to check up on them. Tendou and Reon call him regularly, but he hasn’t talked to the others in months. 

“Right,” Kageyama says suddenly. “Bye.”

Ushijima looks up to see Sugawara Koushi walking towards them. When Ushijima glances at Oikawa, he receives a smile and a wink. Kageyama shuffles his feet once, adjusts the collar of his jacket. 

Oikawa was right. In hindsight, the clues were there all along. Nevertheless, Ushijima is a bit surprised. He had thought the person, even if it isn’t Hinata, would be another volleyball player. Sugawara doesn’t play volleyball anymore. 

“Mr. Refreshing,” Oikawa says. “Long time no see.”

Sugawara looks much the same as he did in Miyagi. Calm and collected, a smile for all of them. He is pretty like Oikawa, lots of beautiful, wavy hair, pleasant features. He was a good setter in high school but a bit too cautious on the court, with textbook-style setups. 

He is holding a paper cup of either tea or coffee, which he hands to Kageyama. Then he says, “How are you, Oikawa? And you, Ushijima? Nice to see you both.”

“What’s this for?” Kageyama asks.

“Thought you could use a pick-me-up,” Sugawara says, and puts his hand on Kageyama’s shoulder, squeezes.

Kageyama mumbles a “thank you” into the lid of his cup. He does not look at any of them. Sugawara smiles again, quick and fond, gaze fixed on him.

“You’re full of surprises, Mr. Refreshing,” Oikawa says. “I can’t figure you out. Are you a masochist or a sadist?”

Sugawara laughs before saying, “Maybe I should be asking you that question?” He glances at Ushijima and then looks back at Oikawa, smiling serenely.

“Think whatever you like about me, it’s more interesting that way.” Oikawa stands up. “But maybe you should put poor Tobio-chan out of his misery and-”

“Sugawara-san!” Kageyama says, grabbing Sugawara’s arm. “Let’s go. We’re going.”

“You sure?” Sugawara asks. “Well, alright.”

Kageyama tugs him forward. Sugawara allows himself to be led, for a few steps, before he says, “Aren’t you going to say goodbye to Oikawa and Ushijima?”

“Goodbye, Ushijima-san and Oikawa-san,” Kageyama says. 

Sugawara looks at Ushijima and says, “We should do something together soon, the four of us. It will be fun!”

“Yes,” Ushijima says.

“Maybe,” Oikawa says. “We’re not promising anything.”

After Kageyama and Sugawara are out of earshot, he continues, “Those Karasuno guys! Always shoving their optimism in your face. Mr. Refreshing is the worst, with his polite manners. You like that kind of thing, don’t you Ushiwaka-chan?”

In the distance, Sugawara slings his arm around Kageyama’s shoulders, says something with his mouth inches from Kageyama’s face. 

“I am happy to have met them,” Ushijima says.

“Waka-Baka-chan, please don’t get any ideas.” 

“Don’t call me that, Tooru. Ideas about what?”

“Anything.”

Oikawa consults his map again. Ushijima looks at Oikawa’s displeased mouth and then at the soft angle of his jawline. He runs his thumb over it. Then he moves his thumb up, over Oikawa’s pouty bottom lip. 

“It’s too bad that Kageyama wasn’t in our year when we were in school, isn’t it?” Oikawa says, pinching the map with his fingers, not looking at him. “He wanted to go to Shiratorizawa, you know. But it’s not too late for him to be your setter. The two of you can be a power duo at the Olympics.”

“You’re coming with me to the Olympics.”

“You’re always the same.” Oikawa sighs. “Confident to the point of ridiculous. Anyway, don’t expect Tobio-chan to love you even when he’s your setter. He seems to be disgustingly in love with Mr. Refreshing, who hasn’t touched a ball for three years. Well, not a volleyball at least.”

Ushijima remembers the easy way Sugawara had touched Kageyama. He puts a hand on Oikawa’s shoulder. He says, “Tooru, I will love you even when neither of us can play volleyball anymore.”

Oikawa tenses under Ushijima’s hand. Then he tries to smile, and begins in a flippant tone, “You know, Ushiwaka-chan, you shouldn’t say such things so earnestly!” He pauses. His voice is softer as he says, “It sounds like a promise.”

Ushijima brushes Oikawa’s hair back, off of his forehead. “It is a-” 

Oikawa pokes Ushijima in the stomach. “Now, now,” he says. “That’s enough sappiness for one night, don’t you think? Come on, we’re going home.” 

They walk back to their apartment, Oikawa humming to himself in between his random observations about the people on the streets. When they reach their floor, Ushijima pulls his keys out and tries to find the right one in the dim light. Oikawa lingers on the empty veranda, looking up at the sky, which is glowing from light pollution. A half moon hangs in the distance.

“It’s not like this in Miyagi,” he says. “You know what we should do? Play volleyball under the stars. We can do that this summer, behind Mom’s house. We’ll wait for those aliens. It’ll be fun, right?”

“I am looking forward to it,” Ushijima says. 

He puts his arms around Oikawa’s waist. When Oikawa turns towards him, Ushijima kisses him on the mouth and says, “We can also do that under the stars.” 

Oikawa smiles at him, sincere and loving, and he smiles back.


End file.
